Bella Vogel becomes first Eagle nominated for World Rugby Breakthrough Player award

Bella Vogel has become the first USA player nominated for the World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year award, with the 19-year-old fly-half set to earn her 10th Test cap of 2026 when the Eagles face England’s Red Roses at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Friday — where the award itself could be presented by full-time.

Vogel’s rise has been central to a remarkable run of form for the Eagles. The USA have won five consecutive matches dating back to a July victory over South Africa, a streak that includes all four of their WXV Global Series fixtures. Their most recent outing was a commanding 54-24 win over Italy in Nashville, Tennessee, where Vogel converted seven of the eight tries scored — all by forwards — at Geodis Park.

Eagles head coach Jack Hanratty recalled the moment he realised Vogel was more than just a technically gifted, two-footed kicker. During her first camp, he asked players to associate music genres with different styles of play. Vogel, then 19 and barely acquainted with her new teammates, was the first to speak up — and then performed.

“From day one, Bella commanded the room,” Hanratty said. “Bella was 19 in the first camp, she was the first voice to say, ‘It’s kind of like this disco song’. I didn’t know it, I said, ‘Oh sing it, Bella’. In front of 30 players she hadn’t met before, at 19 years of age, stood up and sang. That was the moment I thought: this is a new era.”

Vogel, who made her international debut against New Zealand in the Pacific Four Series in April, has been quick to deflect individual praise. “I could not [have been nominated] without the team. They make me look good,” she said. “I give the ball to Freda [Tafuna] and she runs through 10 people. You need your whole team to win an award.”

For Hanratty, the nomination carries weight beyond Vogel herself. He acknowledged that previous Eagles squads had produced talent that went largely unrecognised on the international stage, and that the reaction inside the group reflected that history.

“It’s an incredible individual accolade,” he said. “For a number of years, at times there has been talent in this programme that maybe didn’t get international recognition. You could feel the energy and happiness towards one of our own.”